His New Secretary
by hausofwhimsy
Summary: Cave Johnson hires his new secretary


It was the August issue of _Mechanical Engineering World Journal _that sat on the highly-polished coffee table in Aperture's lobby, brandishing the "Top 100 Applied Science Companies of 1949" article. Caroline read it earnestly, occasionally glancing up at the second-place trophy for said article in a nearby awards cabinet. Next to the cabinet hung a painting of Cave Johnson, making Caroline blush every time her eyes wandered over to it. Here she was, nineteen and fresh out of high school, applying to work for the country's greatest (_Mechanical Engineering _could kiss it) name in science. Caroline had idolized science, and when she found out about Cave in 1943, science received a human form.

Thus, Caroline waited anxiously for her job interview, adrenaline and excitement pumping through her bloodstream. When the door to an office opened, she snapped her head to face Cave, a huge smile gracing her visage.

Cave mentally stopped for a split second, eyes meeting those of the pretty little teenager sitting cozily in one of his lobby's chairs. She was so _young_, much unlike anyone else who had ever come to work for him. Very pretty, too. He cleared his throat.

"Caroline?" She stood as she approached him, taking his firm grip with her delicate hands.

"Caro-luhn, sir." She corrected his pronunciation. _A girl who isn't afraid to correct me the first time we meet. What a gem._Cave was intrigued.

"Caro-luhn, huh? Well, Caroline," He ushered her into an office, closing the door behind them. "Time is science, and science is the future! What makes you think you're qualified to work at Aperture? We have world-renowned scientists working with astronauts and athletes, after all! Heck, I never even imagined a kid as young as you would ever want to work at a place like this! How old are ya, anyway? Look like you're barely old enough to get a permit." Her brown eyes flashed with a glimmer of hurt. For a split second, Cave almost felt guilty at hurting her feelings, but she immediately broke into a laugh.

"I'm nineteen, Mr. Johnson. I just finished high school a month ago. I've always been fascinated with science, ever since I was a little girl." She paused, crossing her shapely legs and resting her head in her hand. "Aperture simply seems like a dream come true."

Cave was floored, but he didn't show it. _Do you know how many CEOs would kill to be in your position? _This kid was fascinated with science, beautiful to boot, when all he'd ever had before were housewives who spent more time offering favors for extra in their paycheck. This was too good to be true.

"What about college?" Cave asked, suddenly. Caroline shrugged.

"If I got hired at Aperture, I wouldn't need college. Why study a degree in science, when you can live it?" _That was a damn good answer._

"Previous work experience?" At this, she paused, eyes darting down to stare at the edges of the desk sitting between them.

"I..don't have much, to be honest." Cave could tell she was struggling to find something more to add, but he decided to act.

"Caroline, this is a huge gamble on behalf of Aperture, but I am willing to give you a chance. I'll give you a temp job as my secretary, and if you can prove yourself worthy to my company, I'll give you a full-time job." Caroline's face lit up, and she almost knocked her chair over as she stood up to shake Cave's hand.

"Mr. Johnson…I am truly honored, sir. Thank you so much!" He couldn't help but laugh at the girl's excitement. He remembered being that young, being that enthusiastic about science.

Caroline felt like she had sucked on a helium balloon – her dreams were coming true! She didn't know how much Aperture paid, but she was sure she would be able to afford her own apartment before long, maybe even a little house! God, from destitute origins in a Catholic orphanage, to working as _Cave Johnson's own secretary…._life was looking good. Now, her new boss was ushering her around the facility, showing her fascinating things she just knew Black Mesa had to be insanely jealous of! If they found out, that was. What a disgusting thought, someone betraying Mr. Johnson like that.

_Oh, Mr. Johnson. _Her childhood-turned-adult crush was now her boss. Wow. Thinking on it made her legs feel weak, so she grabbed onto the railing of a catwalk they were traversing that overlooked testing rooms.

"You okay, kid? All this science overwhelming ya? I know it's a lot to take – not even those Black Mesa bastards can take claim to some of the things we've got cookin'!" Caroline nodded, quickly recovering. Only, how could she recover from all of the science and being here, and _dear me, he is so close to me as we walk and he smells wonderful.._

"And this is where my office. Well, not really, my office is through that door right there. But this room is where you'll be working for me." Caroline snapped out of her thoughts, glancing around at the room. The wood was rich and dark, with the plush carpet acting as a stark contrast from the metal grating of the catwalks they were walking on not long before. Caroline had barely even remembered walking through tiled hallways, but she knew she would have enough time to explore the facility in the coming days.

"It sure is lovely, Mr. Johnson. I mean…everything! The facility is amazing, the science is amazing, and it was all started by an amazing man!" Cave grinned broadly at the compliment.

"Well, I sure feel lucky to have such a lovely girl who is so eager about science!" He clapped his hands together, not noticing the blush that was blossoming on her cheeks. "Are you ready to get to work? First, go grab me a coffee; when you get back, I'll dictate some note to you."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Johnson!" She started to hurry off (she figured she would find the break room, one way or another), reaching the doorway just as Cave's voice stopped her.

"And, Caroline?"

"Yes, sir?" She paused to look at him. He smiled.

"Welcome to Aperture Innovators."


End file.
